Application of powdered activated carbon coating to fabrics in a hybrid filter to enhance mercury removal

Elemental mercury(Hg0) is predominant constituent of flue gas emitted from coal-fired power plants. Adsorption has been considered the best available technology for removal of Hg0 from flue gas. However, adsorbent injection increases the amount of ash generated. In the present study, powdered activated carbon(PAC) was coated on polytetrafluoroethylene/glass fiber filters to increase Hg0 removal while concurrently reducing the amount of ash generated. The optimal PAC coating rate was determined in laboratory experiments to ensure better Hg0 removal with low pressure drop. When PAC of particle size less than 45 μm was used, and the areal density was 50 g/m2, the pressure drop remained under 30 Pa while the Hg0 removal efficiency increased to 15.8% from4.3%. The Hg0 removal efficiency also increased with decrease in filtration velocity. The optimal PAC coating rate was applied on a hybrid filter(HF), which was combined with a bag filter and an electrostatic precipitator in a single chamber. Originally designed to remove fine particulates matter, it was retrofitted to the flue gas control device for simultaneous Hg0 removal. By employing the PAC coating, the Hg removal efficiency of the HF increased to 79.79% from 66.35%. Also, a temporary reduction in Hg removal was seen but this was resolved following a cleaning cycle in which the dust layer was removed.     

The key role of inoculated sludge in fast start-up of sequencing batch reactor for the domestication of aerobic granular sludge

Two types of inoculated sludges, granular sludge that had been stored at-20°C and activated sludge, were investigated for the domestication of aerobic granular sludges(AGSs in sequencing batch reactors(SBRs). The results showed that using the stored granular sludge as inoculation sludge could effectively shorten the domestication time of AGS and yielded mature granular sludge after 22 days of operation. The AGS domesticated by stored granular sludge had better biomass and sedimentation properties; its MLSS and SVI reached8.55 g/L and 35.27 mL/g, respectively. The removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand(COD), ammonium nitrogen(NH_4~+-N) and total phosphorus(TP) reached 90.76%, 97.39% and 96.40%, respectively. By contrast, 54 days were needed to obtain mature granules using activated sludge. The microbial community structure was probed by using scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the diversity of the microbial community in mature granules was reduced when stored granular sludge rather than activated sludge was employed as inoculation sludge, and the dominant microbes were changed. The dominant species in mature granules domesticated using stored granular sludge were Zoogloea, Acidovorax and Tolumonas at the genus classification level, while the dominant species were Zoogloea and TM7-genera in granules developed from activated sludge.     

Removing and recycling mercury from scrubbing solution produced in wet nonferrous metal smelting flue gas purification process

Wet purification technology for nonferrous metal smelting flue gas is important for mercury removal; however, this technology produces a large amounts of spent scrubbing solution that contain mercury. The mercury in these scrubbing solutions pose a great threat to the environment. Therefore, this research provides a novel strategy for removing and recycling mercury from the scrubbing solution, which is significant for decreasing mercury pollution while also allowing for the safe disposal of wastewater and a stable supply of mercury resources. Some critical parameters for the electrochemical reduction of mercury were studied in detail. Additionally, the electrodeposition dynamics and electroreduction mechanism for mercury were evaluated. Results suggested that over 92.4% of mercury could be removed from the scrubbing solution in the form of a Hg-Cu alloy under optimal conditions within 150 min and with a current efficiency of approximately 75%. Additionally, mercury electrodeposition was a quasi-reversible process, and the controlled step was the mass transport of the reactant. A pre-conversion step from Hg(Tu)₄²⁺ to Hg(Tu)₃²⁺ before mercury electroreduction was necessary. Then, the formed Hg(Tu)₃²⁺ on the cathode surface gained electrons step by step. After electrodeposition, the mercury in the spent cathode could be recycled by thermal desorption. The results of the electrochemical reduction of mercury and subsequent recycling provides a practical and easy-to-adopt alternative for recycling mercury resources and decreasing mercury contamination.     

An economic analysis of China’s domestic crude oil supply policies

ABSTRACT

China’s domestic oil production has lagged the growth in domestic oil consumption since the beginning of the 21st century, leading to a growing reliance on imports. In response, the Chinese government has introduced a number of policies, including import license constraints, to support domestic suppliers. In an effort to measure the economic impact of these policies we develop a short-run equilibrium model of China’s wholesale oil and gas market at the provincial scale. We construct counterfactual scenarios that suggest that relaxing policies that prioritize domestic production in 2016, when the average price of Chinese oil imports was US$42 per barrel (bbl), could have increased China’s import demand by 0.29 million barrels per day (MMbbl/d). This results in a substitution of 9% of China’s domestic production in 2016, and a reduction of US $2.8 billion in crude supply costs including transportation as the imported oil has more direct access to the country’s pipeline network, compared to the displaced domestic production. In addition, rising import prices since mid-2017 may provide a window of opportunity for Chinese policymakers to proceed with further deregulation of the domestic oil sector, as the short-term impact on domestic producers is reduced.     

Carrying capacity of an uninhabited island off the southwestern coast of Korea

An emergy evaluation was carried out to assess the carrying capacity of a small, uninhabited island (Woosedo) off the southwestern coast of Korea. The sea area within 1 km from the high tide level of the island was included in the evaluation. The total environmental emergy input to Woosedo was 1.66E19 sej/yr, with the most emergy contribution from the tidal energy. The land and marine ecosystems of Woosedo contributed 4.97 million Em$ (7600 Em$/ha/yr) to the Korean economy annually. If Woosedo was developed to the national average at the emergy investment ratio of 2.86, its carrying capacity was estimated at 1034 people at the current living standard of Korea. With this population, the island system would not be sustainable with a very low emergy sustainability index of 0.36. At the same living standard used in the developed scenario, the carrying capacity of the island would be 370 people for a sustainable development scenario and 270 people if the renewable emergy were the only source to support the population. The emergy contribution of the marine ecosystem of the island was the major source of support in determining the level of carrying capacity of the island.     

再生水灌溉对冬小麦生长和产量的影响

随着我国污水处理技术的发展,再生水生产能力得到了明显地提高,实现再生水农业安全利用,将开辟农业用水新途径。以冬小麦（Triticum aestivum）为对象,通过盆栽试验,研究了不同程度处理的再生水（二级再生水、三级再生水）对冬小麦生长和产量的影响。结果表明：再生水灌溉能显著提高冬小麦的株高、叶面积、叶绿素含量,但开花前对光合作用的改善不显著。再生水灌溉处理的冬小麦超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性整体提高,尤其是越冬阶段,叶片SOD活性较对照处理提高了15%,抽穗后作用减弱,各处理间的过氧化物酶（POD）活性差异不明显。以再生水灌溉的盆栽小麦产量和对照相比没有明显差异,再生水灌溉可以实现正常的产量水平。     

大鹏湾环境容量研究Ⅱ:环境容量规划

采用基于响应场的线性规划方法,考虑非点源与湾外污染物输入形成的本底值,结合深圳沿岸排污口的分布计算了大鹏湾的环境容量,并给出了总量分配方案.结果表明,大鹏湾物理自净能力差,但水体容量大,具有较大的稀释容量,加上污染物的生化降解,大鹏湾具有较大的环境容量.BOD5、总氮、总磷的最大允许排放总量分别为79.0,11.418,0.86t/d,BOD5、总氮、总磷的剩余环境容量分别为61.34,9.318,0.43t/d.     

基于发光细菌的细颗粒物(PM_(2.5))可溶性提取液综合生物效应测试方法及其应用

为科学评估PM_(2.5)对生物体综合生物效应,研究建立了利用费氏弧菌检测PM_(2.5)水溶性提取液的毒性测试方法,确立了PM_(2.5)样品提取液发光细菌毒性测试实验质量控制办法。对春节烟花爆竹燃放和沙尘污染过程的PM_(2.5)实样测试表明:烟花爆竹燃放期间的PM_(2.5)样品提取液发光抑制率值与微量金属元素等有毒有害组分浓度显著相关;沙尘污染期间的PM_(2.5)样本提取液中地壳元素浓度和发光抑制率值显著不相关。     

A study on vertical greening practice emphasizing ecological benefits in Xiamen City of China

Through the practice of vertical greening, which is an important method for modern city greening, a city’s natural geographic conditions and rich plant resources can be efficiently utilized. Using vertical greening to shape the characteristics of a city is a promising method for sustainable development. Integration of vertical greening with urban characteristics offers huge ecological and cultural benefits. Vertical greening was adopted in China much later than other developed cities in the world and is still in the exploratory stage in most of the cities. As one of the pioneer cities to carry out vertical greening in China, Xiamen has managed to project it as one of the city highlights. In this study, we analyzed the problems that Xiamen City faced during its development and the important role vertical greening has played in the urban landscape. In addition, humanistic and ecological benefits of vertical greening are illustrated through an experimental study.     

环境内分泌干扰物对鱼类性别分化的影响

鱼类性别分化是在性别决定机制的控制下,鱼类未分化的性腺向卵巢或精巢发育,并出现第2性征的过程,受自身内分泌系统的精确调控。环境内分泌干扰物能通过干扰内源激素的合成、释放、转运、代谢、结合和作用等过程影响鱼类的内分泌机能,从而对鱼类的性别分化产生影响。介绍了鱼类性别分化的模式和过程以及内分泌系统对鱼类性别分化的调控作用,综述了环境内分泌干扰物对鱼类性别比例、配子发生、性腺发育和第2性征的影响,从性类固醇激素的合成以及性别分化相关基因的表达两个方面探讨了环境内分泌干扰物影响鱼类性别分化的作用机制,并展望了该领域未来的研究方向。